Relationship between Capillary Refill Time at Triage and Abnormal Clinical Condition: A Prospective Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Clinical Physiology
• Diagnostic Indicators

Background:

• Capillary refill time (CRT) is a recognized indicator of peripheral perfusion.
• Previous studies proposed reference values for healthy adults, but data on its use in identifying adult critical conditions are lacking.
• Triage nurses require additional tools to assess patient acuity effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if altered CRT correlates with abnormal clinical conditions in emergency department patients.
• To investigate the relationship between CRT, vital signs, and laboratory test results.
• To assess the association between CRT and short-term mortality.

Main Methods:

• An observational, single-center study included 1001 adult patients in an Emergency Department.
• Data on CRT, vital signs, and blood tests were analyzed.
• Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of prolonged CRT.

Main Results:

• Longer CRT was associated with hospital admission versus discharge.
• In elderly patients, increased CRT correlated with sepsis, low oxygen saturation, mean blood pressure, and elevated lactates.
• In middle-aged adults (45-64 years), altered CRT linked to abnormal glucose, platelet, and urea levels.

Conclusions:

• Capillary refill time serves as a valuable complementary parameter for nurses during triage.
• CRT can aid in identifying adult patients with potentially serious clinical conditions.
• This study contributes novel data on CRT's utility in adult emergency care.